Pearl Primus

Pearl Primus
Primus performing "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" in 1944
Born	(1919-11-29)November 29, 1919 Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
Died	October 29, 1994(1994-10-29) (aged 74) New Rochelle, New York, United States
Education	Hunter College New York University
Occupation(s)	Choreographer, dancer, anthropologist
Spouse	Percival Borde
Career
Former groups	New Dance Group

Pearl Eileen Primus (November 29, 1919 – October 29, 1994) was an American dancer, choreographer and anthropologist. Primus played an important role in the presentation of African dance to American audiences. Early in her career she saw the need to promote African dance as an art form worthy of study and performance. Primus' work was a reaction to myths of savagery and the lack of knowledge about African people. It was an effort to guide the Western world to view African dance as an important and dignified statement about another way of life.^[1]